Stay With Me
by ladyd10
Summary: Inspired by 7.14. Just a continuation.


_**A/N: This has been banging around in my head since Smoke Gets in Your CSI's aired. Reading up on Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome made me realize just how close to death the writers put Calleigh and what a life changing experience it could be for her and everyone that cares about her. I'm just annoyed that it so far has been glossed over/forgotten on the show. **_

_**Stay With Me**_

Eric moved down the hospital corridor as quickly as he could. All he could think about all day was visiting Calleigh. He had stayed as late as he could the night before, only reluctantly leaving her side when the hospital staff made him go home. He wasn't her husband, brother, fiancée or even official significant other so he was finally kicked out somewhere in the realm of midnight. Calleigh had been asleep the whole time and he had hoped she wouldn't be upset to wake up alone that morning.

He stopped just outside her ICU cubicle and took a deep breath. He pushed aside the curtain and stepped in. "Hey, Cal how are.....what's going on? What's wrong?"

Calleigh lay curled up on her side, oxygen feed at her nose. She was pale and had a fine sheen of sweat slicking her skin. It took her several moments to speak and when she did, her voice was breathy and raspy. "It's been a bad day. I feel terrible."

Eric sat at her side and stroked her mildly damp hair away from her face. "I can see that. All the good meds from yesterday wore off, huh?"

"Yeah," she rasped and then coughed slightly. "It's hard to breathe."

"That's what happens when you try to eat fire," Eric said lightly, trying to make her smile a little. When she didn't, he continued, "Why don't I go and let you get some rest?"

Calleigh reached out and took his hand. "No, I'm better now that you're here. I'm probably lousy company but I just.......I really need....."

"It's okay; I understand," Eric said, his eyes landing on a tray of uneaten dinner. "You didn't eat your dinner. Is the food that bad?"

"No. My stomach hurts; I'm so nauseous. I threw up my breakfast and lunch. I can't keep anything down right now. I don't want anything," she whispered.

"Cal, you gotta eat. You won't get better if you don't," Eric reasoned, picking up a fruit cup and spoon. "Let me help you. I used to help Mari when she was on chemo."

She raised the head of the bed into a sitting position. "You did?"

Eric opened the fruit cup. "Mmm-hmn, I did. First, I'd sit next to her like this....and put my arm around her shoulders. She'd lean her head on my shoulder and let me feed her."

Calleigh rested her head against Eric's strong shoulder and sighed, not really wanting to tempt her stomach again, but not having the strength to argue with Eric; and she was desperately hungry. "Show me."

Eric took a single, small slice of fruit, a piece of guava, on the spoon and held it to Calleigh's lips. She obligingly opened her mouth and he gently began to feed her piece by small piece until about half was gone. "Let's take a little break and move on to some Jello, okay?"

"It's raspberry," Calleigh said, waiting for her stomach to reject the fruit.

Eric couldn't help himself and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head as he opened the Jello. "You like raspberry flavored stuff. Do you want to mix it up with some banana?"

Her stomach cramped once, twice. "Not yet. I don't know if the fruit is going to stay put. God, what did they have me on?"

"Alexx didn't say, but she mentioned that you'd probably feel pretty bad today."

"I owe her my life; you too. You were amazing at P.D. yesterday. I can't believe the way you took care of me and are taking care of me now. Eric, I-" Calleigh said, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Later, Querida; when you feel better. This is not a conversation for today. Remember, you're not supposed to exert yourself. Do you want a little Jello?" Eric deflected carefully. She'd accepted his declaration of love and the look in her eyes and the smile she gave him, his smile only, had been all he needed to know that his feelings were returned 100 percent.

"Let's try some," Calleigh rasped and then coughed. "Water?"

"Sure," He said, pouring water into the plastic cup on her tray and holding it to her lips. He let her drink until she was satisfied. He then began to slowly feed her the gelatin interspersed with the fruit cup. Soon, both containers were empty and Calleigh sighed tiredly. "Sleepy?"

"Sort of," she said, wiggling to find a spot that didn't ache.

"A little cramped from laying in bed?"

"Yeah."

"Roll on your stomach and let me rub your back. You have to be all tight," Eric told her, expecting that she'd listen. When she complied, he realized that she had to be feeling worse than she was letting on. He carefully untied the hospital gown and spread it open, revealing livid bruises down her right side.

"Where did these bruises come from?" he asked in alarm.

"Eric, it was an accident. I woke up this morning and I needed to go to the bathroom in the worst way. I started to ring for the nurse, but then a code went off in another room and I knew that that person needed a nurse more than I did. I got up and went into the bathroom. Everything was fine until I got back up and started to come back to bed. I got dizzy and light-headed and couldn't breathe properly. I blacked out and fell. The next thing I knew, I was back in bed with Alexx scolding me. I've already heard it, Eric. I shouldn't have gotten up on my own. Now I have bruises to prove it," Calleigh said, only breaking off as another volley of coughs wracked her slender frame.

Eric began to tenderly knead her tense muscles. "No more talking for now. Just concentrate on taking steady breaths. I promise I'll be gentle."

Calleigh nodded and let herself drift off, surrendering herself to Eric's gentle hands. His voice caressed her ears and his hands soothed her body. Yes, she felt emotions for him deeper than friendship. She hadn't lied to him when she said that she heard him while she had been unconscious. She remembered him clearly saying that he couldn't see himself living his life without her. She knew that even before that, he had begun to court her. The grenadine truffles left on her desk with a short note about the little pleasures in life gave her no illusions as to his intentions. Two days later she found a vase full of bright, cheerful daffodils on her desk with a note saying that sunshine was in her smile. Daffodils weren't her favorite flower, but tulips couldn't be found in florist shops just yet. Daffodils did, however, make her smile. Their undeniable cheerfulness spoke volumes. A couple of days later, more flowers, cheerful crocus in a flower pot, and then more chocolate, this time milk chocolate with orange cream inside; another deep and terrible weakness. Nothing was too much or overwhelming and all from Eric. Now he cared for her while she was ill. Tenderly feeding her and gently massaging her achy and tired muscles while she recovered her breath and strength after nearly dying from smoke. This was the Eric Delko she knew existed under his former "playa" exterior. This was the Eric Delko that she trusted with her life. Now she was beginning to trust him with her heart. Strangely enough, she was comfortable with it.

She sighed again and shut her eyes, tiredness making itself known. "Eric, I think I'm going to be rude and fall asleep on you if you don't stop what you're doing."

Eric smiled softly to himself. "So sleep. You need it more than anything to help you get well."

Calleigh rolled onto her back and looked up at him. "No, you came to visit, not watch me sleep."

"I don't mind," he replied, tying the back of her gown up. "Cal, you almost died yesterday. You stopped breathing on your own and had to have a ventilator do it for you. I watched the machine breathe for you all yesterday afternoon and I watched you sleep last night. I don't care if you're awake or asleep; I just want to be here."

She gave him a watery smile, taking his hand. She ran her fingers over his knuckles "I know and I want you here. I feel better with you here. I just don't want to take advantage of you, that's all. You have a life, after all."

Eric raised their entwined hands and brushed his lips across her knuckles. "I have you. And I don't want to leave your side, ever, so I'm staying."

Tears glistened in her joyful eyes. "Okay. I have you, too, and I don't want you to leave, either. Stay with me."

"Always."


End file.
